Muharram
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Muharram means “respected”. It is the first month of the Islamic Calendar and it commemorates the death of Hazrat Imam Hussain in the battle of Karbala. Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, his family members and a number
of his followers were surrounded by forces loyal to Yazid, the muslim ruler, in the desert at a place now known as Karbala in Iraq and was killed there.
This dispute was the result of disagreement among Muslims on the question of succession and Imam Hussain was refusing to swear allegiance to Yazid, the second Umayyad Caliph. The commemoration of the brutal massacre starts at the 1st day of Muharram and lasts
for 10 days until 10th of Muharram.
This event, called Muharram, is named after the month in which it took place. The tenth day of Muharram called Ashura is the most important day of the month and is observed as the day by Shias for expressing their grief.The commemoration
of this brutal massacre begins on the first day of Muharram and continues for 40 days. During the first 10 days of Muharram millions of Shi'a (and Sunni) Muslims remember the massacre at Karbala and strive to feel some of Hussain’s pain and agony.
About Muharram
During the first nine days of the month, various grief-stricken scenes from the battle of Karbala, also know as majlish, are enacted in Shiah mosques. On Ashura, the most important day, processions with Taziahs are taken out in commemeration
of the sad event. The procession also includes a well-decorated horse, representing the horse of Imam Hussain. Emotional plays, enacting scenes from the battle of Karbala, are performed by bare-chested Shiah men.
They strike their body with chains while some walk with bare feet on burning coals. Crying "hai Hussain hum na rahe", meaning 'Oh Hussain, we were not there', they express their anguish at their in ability to have prevented him from being tortured. By beating
themselves, the Shiahs relieve the pain Hussain suffered and thus express their sorrow.
They also distribute water, soft drinks and fruit juices to passers-by in an effort to quench the thirst of the six-month old son of Hazrat Imam Hussain and many others who are believed to have died asking for water. The Taziah processions
from all over the town terminate at the Karbala of the city. Most old habitations with a Muslim tradition have a specially marked place to represent the original Karbala.
Related Links
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About Muharram
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Muharram festival commemorates the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). This festival starts at the 1st day of Muharram and lasts for 10 days until 10th of Muharram. Muharram is
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Fasting During the Month
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Fasting is advocated in the month of Muharram. The Noble Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, has said: 'The best fasts after the fasts of Ramadan are those of the month of Muharram." Although the fasts of the month of Muh
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History of Muharram
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The Period of mourning is observed in the first month of the Islamic calendar, and it commemorates the death of Hazrat Imam Hussain in the battle of Karbala. Muharram means 'respected'. It is the first month of the Islamic calend
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Rituals of Muharram
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The Shias observe the entire month as a period of mass mourning. There is no celebration or expression of joy of any kind. Women are expected to forsake all adornments. Public enactments of grief, depicting scenes from the Battle
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The Islamic New Year
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The month of Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic liturgical year. The Islamic year begins on the first day of Muharram, and is counted from the year of the Hegira (anno Hegirae)—the year in which Muhammad emigrated from M
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